Lion Group founder threatens to cancel Max order: report

Lion Air founder Rusdi Kirana, unhappy with Boeing’s response to the recent crash of flight JT610, is reportedly looking to cancel the group’s massive order for the 737 Max.

Bloomberg reports that Kirana is “preparing documents to propose cancellation”, after “feeling betrayed” by Boeing’s response to a preliminary report of the 29 October crash, which he felt gave a “negative impression” of the airline.

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that the Lion Group has 237 Max aircraft on order, comprising 187 Max 8/9s and 50 Max 10s. There will be financial penalties for cancellations, but Kirana has said that the airline will “deal with the consequences later, whatever they are”.

Lion has been a long-time Boeing customer, with its Malaysian unit Malindo Air being the launch customer for the Max 8, while its Thai Lion affiliate was the first airline to receive the Max 9. It was also designated the potential Max 10 launch customer at the Paris air show in 2017.

The loyal Boeing customer turned to Airbus with an order for 234 A320 family aircraft in 2013 to help meet the group’s ambitious growth plans.

Fleets Analyzer shows that Lion is scheduled to take delivery of seven Max aircraft in 2019, followed by 24 in 2020 and 35 in 2021. Deliveries are scheduled through to 2026.

Boeing put out a detailed response to a preliminary report on the Lion crash released by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee last month. In it, it reiterated key points from the interim report but also pointed out the lack of some information, including records to the installation and calibration of an angle-of-attack sensor that had been replaced.